One Hundred Dollars a Month

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” ~ Oprah Winfrey 

My goals for 2018

Goal #1 – Write Like No One is Reading.

“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~  Barbara Kingsolver

Goal #2 – Slow Down

Fall foliage. Isn’t it amazing?  Apparently it’s a big deal around these parts, and many of the New England states practically double in size this time of year as visitors drive up and down the scenic roads trying to get a glimpse of the leaves changing colors. With this being our first fall here in New England, we decided to hop in the car and take a 6 hour drive through a few of our favorite towns and along the Kancamagus Highway to soak up the beautiful colors of fall. The trip did not disappoint. Not one bit.

Goal #3 – Shop Small

While we were out on the great leaf hunt, we stopped off at one of our favorite coffee shops, Schoodacs Coffee & Tea. The HH enjoyed a hot cup of coffee and a nice slice of coffee cake and I looked through the fall town’s fall festival flyer. 😉

Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day

I don’t know why we are having such a hard time with this goal this year! But we are. It only makes me crazy because I wrote it down as a goal, not

Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden Done!

Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area 

Poor Hilda! I was painting the inside of the coop last week and she wouldn’t stop brushing up against the side of the coop so I had to abandon my painting efforts until I could let them out of the coop for a little 4pm to dusk free ranging time. What a mess. Luckily though, all the other birds must be color blind because none of them have seemed to notice {or peck at her red feathers}.

Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables

So far this year we’ve harvested 439 pounds of fruits and veggies from our backyard garden. With a few more pumpkins, beets, carrots and potatoes to still harvest, I am hopeful {as in fingers crossed} we will make it to 500 pounds. I don’t know though, things were looking a little iffy last week when we checked on the sweet potatoes.

I don’t plan on pulling up the potatoes until I absolutely have to so we will just have to wait and see. Next year though, I’ll have a better plan in place.

Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs

Only 5 more rugs to go!!!

Along with about 100 other things, I spent the week dyeing wool and finishing up my Thanksgiving turkey rug. Ain’t she a beauty? Or is it a he? I also updated my Etsy shop with a few new items {finished hooked rug items and wool bundles}. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hooking rugs, and I am looking forward to winter {so very much} and being able to get some quality hooking time after gardening season is wrapped up for the year.

Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls

While I was waiting to pick up my order at the Dorr Mill Store I was thumbing through an old issue of Primitive Quilting Magazine and came across this primitive little Raggedy Ann doll. I liked her so much that I decided to buy the magazine because it had a pattern for the doll in it {and the magazine was half off!}.  I’m thinking November might be a good month to sew up a few dolls. Things will have slowed down in November, right?

Goal #10 – Make a Sampler, Frame it and Hang it on the Wall Done!

Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries

Schoodacs Coffee & Tea isn’t really a bakery, but it’s such a cool little shop that I just have to tell you about it, and I will this week.

Goal #12 – Start a Collection

I picked up 3 more old-fashioned glass canning jars at the recycle center this past week {PERFECT for the summer bouquets at my little vegetable stand} and an I SPY book for the kids cupboard in our home.

Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books

I’m about half way through Martha’s Vineyard, Isle of Dreams and now that she is talking about Cliff a little less, I’m not rolling my eyes anymore. I really like the book so far {but I’m tired about hearing about Cliff!} and making the time to sit down and read has been really tough the past two weeks. I wish this was available on Audiobook, as those seem to work better for me because I always seem to be working on some sort of project.

Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes

So far this year I’ve only canned 8 different things. I need to clone myself.

So far this year I’ve canned:

• Apple Cider Butter
• Tomato Sauce
• Carrot Cake Jam
• Spiced Peach {Crazy good!!!}
• Blueberry Jam {without the mint}
• Pickled Beets {without the funky spices}
• Cherry Almond Jam {freakin’ AWESOME}
• Susan’s Lilac Blossom Jelly

Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project

I am an awful person. I know I said I’d finally show you what I’ve been up to these past few months YESTERDAY, but even after pulling a few late nights last week {like not going to bed until 2 am and then getting up at 5 am!} I still wasn’t able to get everything I wanted to show you done in time. Finishing up my project, taking pictures, writing up a coherent blog post {plus there is another totally time consuming component to the project that I haven’t mentioned yet}, all take time. Lot’s and lot’s of time. Much more time than I thought it would, that’s for sure. 😉

I’m really not a person who does things half way…. I’m kind of an ALL IN kind of person, and so to not be able to show you what I’ve been working on as sort of a “complete package” really bothered me. So I decided to give myself a few more days to tidy things up. So roll your eyes if you must, but I hope you pop by the blog this Friday because by then I’ll have all my ducks in a row and be ready to finally show you what I’ve been working on.

The good stuff. Sometimes you’ve just got to wait for it. Then again, maybe you’ll think my secret project is the lamest thing you’ve ever seen and you’ll be like…. she took this long to show me THAT? Geez, she might as well have been whittling toothpicks or something. That would have been more exciting.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2018? How are they coming along? Faster than mine are this year, I hope.

~Mavis

Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.